Archive for May, 2013

Forty MPs have urged the government of Bangladesh to increase by 70 per cent the taxes on bidis, cigarettes and jarda (smokeless tobacco), according to a story in The Financial Express. The MPs, who wanted to see the increase included in the 2013-14 Budget, were trying to thwart the efforts of about 170 MPs who […]

The French National Institute for Agronomic Research (INRA) has developed several plant protection applications for smartphones and tablets to help farmers identify and localize diseases on plants in the field. In order to reduce the use of pesticides on crops, the early and reliable identification of a disease and the detection of emergent pests have […]

Tobacco farmers notched a victory Thursday when the U.S. Senate fended off efforts to eliminate the federal insurance program for their embattled crop. Tobacco farmer organizations had vigorously objected to the proposal, saying elimination of the program would effectively spell the end of U.S. tobacco production. Tobacco Associates of Raleigh, North Carolina, said discontinuation of […]

The ITM Group has acquired IMAtec of Luxembourg, a supplier of packing equipment for other tobacco products (OTP). IMATec’s portfolio includes cigarette paper booklet machines, pouchmakers, clear-wrap kits, shrink kits and end-of-line packaging equipment. Combining the companies’ teams will allow ITM to offer complete packing solutions from concept to machine acceptance. In addition, it will […]

Kyrgyzstan is looking to attract foreign investment in its tobacco production industry, according to a story in The Times of Central Asia quoting Kyrgyz Agriculture Ministry figures. The country produced 7,400 tons of mainly Dubek semi-oriental tobacco last year, but the crop’s value, at 631 million soms, was down from 1.083 billion soms the previous […]

The Irish Prime Minister, Enda Kenny, has been criticised for holding a meeting with representatives of the tobacco industry, according to a story in The Journal.ie. The meeting, which was said also to have involved two senior ministers, Alan Shatter and Michael Noonan, was held a fortnight ago but has only recently come to public […]

The spokesman for Forest Éireann has said he is undertaking a tour of Ireland in response to “increasingly restrictive measures on smoking and tobacco, including campaigns to ‘de-normalise’ the habit”. On the Limerick leg of his tour, John Mallon urged smokers to stand up to “Prohibition extremism in a free society”. According to a story […]

Thailand’s deputy public health minister, Dr. Chonlanan Srikeaw, has announced that a new anti-smoking law will require cigarette packs to carry bigger health warnings, according to a story in the Pattaya Mail. A new law, which will be implemented on October 2, will stipulate that cigarette warning labels must cover 85 per cent of packs. […]

Imperial Tobacco recently joined with the other major tobacco manufacturers at two global customs events to showcase technology for tackling the illicit trade. Representatives from Imperial attended the World Customs Organization events in Dubai and Istanbul as members of the cross-industry Digital Coding and Tracking Association (DCTA), which was officially launched this week. Imperial said […]

RFID Journal said yesterday that it will feature a ‘co-located’ event at its 10th European show, RFID Journal LIVE! Europe (www.rfidjournalevents.com/europe). The co-located event, RFID in Europe (www.rfidineurope.eu), is designed to promote the adoption of radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies, and to connect European end users and system providers. Both events will be held on […]

Vapor Corp. said on Wednesday that CEO, Kevin Frija, was due to make a presentation at the Second Annual Marcum LLP MicroCap Conference on May 30 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City. The company’s presentation is scheduled to begin at 16.00 hours Eastern Daylight Time. More information and registration is available at the […]

Researchers in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US have concluded that electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) might have the potential to serve as cessation aids, according to a paper published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The researchers set out to examine patterns of ENDS awareness, use, and product-associated beliefs among current and […]

University of Western Australia (UWA) researchers have found that poorer West Australian suburbs have four times the number of tobacco outlets than those found in their affluent neighbors, according to a story on WAtoday.com.au. The study was published in the Medical Journal of Australia. It is unlikely that the researchers were surprised by the findings. […]

Russian federal investigators have alleged that British American Tobacco’s local units have failed to pay tax amounting to upwards of RUB335 million, according to report by the Russian Legal Information Agency (RLIA) quoting an Izvestia newspaper story. An investigation was opened in respect of BAT’s St. Petersburg, Saratov, and Moscow units, which are alleged not […]

The Jordan Customs Department (JCD) on Monday foiled an attempt to smuggle 203,000 packs of cigarettes into the country, according to a Jordan Times story. The cigarettes were found in six containers. The Times said the packs were seized, and were being held by the JCD ‘until’ the would-be smugglers paid their fines, which amount […]

Local health control people have accused the TobaccoMuseum in Shanghai, China, of being a giant advertisement for the tobacco industry, according to a story in the Global times. They are demanding that the authorities revoke the museum’s honorary titles that allow the museum to present itself as a venue suitable for students. The Times story […]

Imperial Tobacco employees based in Bristol recently gave something back to the company’s local community when they joined thousands of other people across the UK in taking part in Give & Gain Day. The annual event, run by the Business in the Community organization, is the country’s leading employee volunteering action day. Company secretary, John […]

ITC of India reported a net profit of INR19.28 billion ($350.3 million) in the quarter ending March 31, up 19.45 percent from the comparable quarter last year. The company’s non-tobacco FMCG business contributed a net profit of INR118.7 million during the quarter, compared with a net loss of INR166.8 million in the 2012 quarter. ITC’s […]

A joint declaration adopted May 17th by Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian and Bulgarian agriculture ministers criticizes the European Commission’s draft Tobacco Products Directive, especially the proposed ban on slim and menthol cigarettes, reports Europolitics. The ministers said that, if approved, the directive would hurt thousands of families that depend on tobacco cultivation for their […]

The Industrial Promotion Board (IPB) in Nepal announced an indefinite moratorium on the registration of new gutka manufacturing units after figures from the Inland Revenue Department showed only 150 of 455 registered gutka factories pay taxes, reports Kantipur Online. Following India’s April 2011 directive banning the sale of gutka in plastic pouches, Indian gutka producers […]

Surgeon General’s report on e-cigarttes

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Some in tobacco control are unhappy about Derek Yach’s involvement in the ‘Foundation for a Smoke-free World’. But rather than prejudge the outcome, they need to make sure they hold his feet to the fire.